SA to remain heavily reliant on coal – analyst

Coal remains vital to the South African economy and would not soon be replaced as the main energy source, delegates heard at the Coaltrans South Africa conference in Sandton on Thursday. South Africa, which has an estimated 33.1-billion tons of...

Current power price path will squeeze SA competitiveness

South Africa’s international competitiveness will increasingly be dampened by the rapid rate at which the domestic electricity price is rising, Energy Intensive User Group chairperson Mike Rossouw said on the second day of the Africa Energy...

Comapany Announcement: Nationalisation Uncertainty Hampering Growth

The end of 2011 saw mining output decline for the fifth consecutive month, however results for the fourth quarter of 2011 showed an improvement over the previous quarter. Only four of the twelve mining sectors posted positive growth rates.

Coal will continue to play a key role in SA power future

The use of coal to generate power in South Africa would only stop when the resource was depleted, and not because it would be replaced by renewable energy, XMP Consulting senior coal analyst Xavier Prevost said on Tuesday. South Africa, the...

The business case for mining, managing environment simultaneously

The development of green mining initia-tives and more environment-friendly projects will become an increasingly economically viable option for the mining industry, commentators indicate to Mining Weekly. While, initially, it may be costly to...

The business case for mining, managing environment simultaneously

The development of green mining initiatives and more environment-friendly projects will become an increasingly economically viable option for the mining industry, commentators indicate to Mining Weekly.

Eskom forecasts material mining, industry demand growth

There were 60 mining projects and 33 industrial projects requiring a total capacity of 2152.23 MVA and 2958.02 MVA respectively, over the next ten years, Eskom regional key account manager Johan Pfister said on Thursday. This growth was being...

Xstrata-Merafe JV to boost output at Boshoek plant

The Xstrata-Merafe joint venture (JV) aims to increase output at the Boshoek ferrochrome smelter complex near Rustenburg by between between 10% and 12% by 2012, operations manager Francois de Wet said on Tuesday. The plant currently produces...

Nov deadline set for S Africa's minerals beneficiation framework

South Africa would finalise its consultations with stakeholders on a new minerals beneficiation framework, which was recently approved by Cabinet, by November, Advocate Sandile Nogxina, currently a special adviser to Minerals Development Minister...

SA’s power prices approach affordability ‘tipping point’

South Africa’s electricity prices, which have more or less doubled from an average real level of 25c/kWh in 2008 to the current level of 50 c/kWh, were approaching an affordability “tipping point”, the Energy Intensive User Group (EIUG)...

Stillwater's McAllister 'not discounting' $3 000/oz platinum in 12 months

The platinum price could reach as high as $2 500/oz and palladium $1 400/oz, Montana-based miner Stillwater CEO and chairperson Frank McAllister said on Wednesday. The combination of sharp cost increases in South Africa, the world’s source for...

Rising costs put SA ferrochrome producers under pressure – Merafe

JSE-listed Merafe Resources said on Tuesday that rising costs were making it increasingly difficult for South African ferrochrome producers to stay competitive. CEO Stuart Elliot told Mining Weekly Online at the company’s results presentation...